Purity of Spirit
by cousin vinnie
Summary: View the Battle of Installation 04 from the perspective of a lowly grunt as he transitions from cowardly cannon-fodder to a capable warrior with the aid of his companions and the crew of the CCS Purity of Spirit.
1. Chapter 1 - Sweet Autumn

_Soell System, 0100 hours Ship Time, 9/19/2552_

"By the prophets...we found it."

A Sangheili, clad in the brightest golden armor, stands atop his command deck, gazing upon the incandescent ring through the holographic screen, a machine of pure holy might dwarfing their already impressive Starships, a testament to their faith and guaranteed sign of holy transcendence, a juxtaposition to the massive, bleak gas giant it orbits. The crew of the Purity's bridge were silent, watching in awe as their faith has been confirmed. A silence broken by the alarm of a Sangheili Major sat at his station beneath the command deck.

"Shipmaster! We have detected a slipspace rupture on the edge of the ring!"

The Shipmaster, standing proudly above his subordinates, steps toward his console. The console flashed and bleeped with unrecognizable glyphs and symbols. Pressing one of the symbols, the screen changes it's position, showing nothing but empty space adorned with glistening stars. As the Shipmaster stares at the screen, he notices a slight tear in space itself, accompanied by a brief, blurry flash, leaving a single star ship adrift towards the gas giant. The Shipmaster scoffs in astonishment, pondering to himself the absurdity of a human ship finding their holy salvation by chance.

"It still perplexes me, 'Sefumee. Of all places in the galaxy, why would they come here? From their doomed home world to the very thing we have searched generations for. I feel as if 'coincidence' is not the right word to use."

The Major, still monitoring his post, responds to his query.

"Puzzling to be sure, but it does not matter, with their world burnt to glass and their military demoralized, a victory is assured. All that is required is a direct hit with one of our torpedoes and the problem will be solved.

The Shipmaster looks down to his colleague.

"No need for haste, my friend. The best course of action now is to await orders from the Supreme Commander."

The Major looks back to his terminal.

"Very well, Shipmaster."

While the Major continues his work, the other deck hands continue to stare at the ring, their stare is broken as the Major takes notice, emitting an authoritative growl to the deck hands, successfully breaking their gaze and continuing their work. The silence holds for several minutes before a familiar voice catches the Shipmaster's attention.

"Shipmaster 'Movumee."

The Shipmaster turns to see a hologram of a San'Shyuum, resting upon a levitating throne, adorned in a ceremonial robe, fizzling into existence before him.

"Noble Prophet of Stewardship."

The Shipmaster takes a knee, a sign of respect to his superior.

"What orders do you have for the Purity?"

The Prophet places two fingers upon his chin, thinking to himself. A second hologram forms before 'Movumee, one of another Shipmaster, wearing the similar golden armor. 'Movumee addresses his colleague with a nod of the head.

"Shipmaster 'Roramee."

The Shipmaster nods back to his counterpart without a word. The Prophet adjusts his position in his chair, ready to speak.

"This...is a new discovery. Make no mistake, the discovery of an ancient ring is a momentous occasion. Our passage into the divine beyond, guaranteed. But, we know not what lies on the surface. The parasite could have easily overtaken the surface as they did on Harborage. Sending all of our forces upon the ring could be disastrous as it was then. Shipmasters, I will be sending the Purity and the Entelechy to run ground reconnaissance. Your men will have the glorious honor of being the first to set foot upon the ring and determining it's safety."

After the Prophet finishes his assessment, 'Movumee responds with a question.

"What of the human vessel?"

'Roramee raises his voice. "A simple problem with a simple solution. We blast the vessel out of the cosmos!"

The Prophet raises a hand to calm his subordinate.

"No need for rash action, Shipmaster, this is indeed a momentous occasion that has everyone on edge. The human vessel does indeed pose a threat, but we must stick to our tasks. One stray shot from a plasma torpedo could damage the holy ring. Your duty is to examine the ring while the rest of the fleet board the vessel and destroy it from within. They will not lay a toe upon this ring. You know your duties. You have your orders. Good luck brothers."

The hologram of the Prophet fizzles out of existence. 'Roramee and 'Movumee exchange glances to each other.

"Believe me, I would rather blast that vessel out of existence, but we have our orders. I will ready my troops, I expect you to do the same."

'Roramee's Hologram fizzles and dies. 'Movumee takes a long, contemplative stare at the ring before approaching the console on his perch. Holding down the holographic button, he yells.

"Warriors! Prepare for combat and report for briefing!"

"Yadam! Wake up!"

The Unggoy jerks himself awake from his curled-up position, looking back and forth to notice the barracks populated by hordes of Sangheili, Unggoy and Kig-Yar scrambling for their gear, some struggling to put their boots on as they run. He spins his head around the barracks to pinpoint the source of his rude awakening. In front of him is an Unggoy Major, sporting the bright-red combat harness and twin-point tank commonly seen among the Majors.

"Filim? What's going on?"

His companion doesn't waste a second responding, blurting out a slurry of unintelligible words before managing to collect himself.

"C-Call to arms! Get equipped and get to the hangar!"

Yadam jumps up to his feet and locates his footlocker. Pressing the glyphs on the control pad, the lid of the locker flies open, revealing his Minor Combat harness; bright orange with a single-point tank. He secures the vest and methane tank to his person, hooking up the hoses and wires required for him to breathe. Right as Yadam finishes securing the tank to the back of his harness, a Sangheili Minor, clad in standard bright-blue armor, stomps through the door. The Sangheili stares at his contingent of Unggoy with anger.

"Has your intelligence dropped even more or are we breeding deaf Unggoy? Report to the hangar!"

The Grunts stand to attention in a sloppy and panicked fashion. One of the Unggoy in the group yells out in fear.

"Yes, Commander 'Hekumee!"

The Sangheili looks back at his subordinate with a cold stare.

"You will refer to me as 'Your Excellency' Unggoy!"

The Unggoy shields his face from a perceived disciplinary strike, managing to squeal out.

"Y-Yes...Your Excellency!"

The Sangheili drops his stance.

"That's better, now move! I don't want to see a single one of you falter!"

The team of Unggoy squeal in surprise, trailing behind their leader as fast as their little legs could carry them through the winding, purple corridors. Yadam manages to keep up with his team, his only motivation being to not get trampled by the infantry forces if he dared to stop for a breath.

After many close calls with the stampede of soldiers, the team locates the hangar bay. The bay sports multiple levels for aircraft to dock, a wondrous room with a high ceiling and two large, shielded bay doors. Phantom drop ships and Banshee fighters rest in their berths, waiting to be boarded. Sangheili, Unggoy and Kig-Yar alike gather at the edge of the docking bay, standing to attention at Major 'Sefumee. The Sangheili and their Unggoy subordinates form a rank and file in front of the officer. The Unggoy chatter on about their mission, Yadam and Filim find their place in line, whispering back and forth to each other. Filim taps Yadam's shoulder, getting his attention.

"Have you seen the ring? It's huge! Huge!"

Yadam turns his head to meet Filim.

"It kind of makes you wonder, how did the humans find this place anyway? The one place we've been looking for for generations and we only happen to find it when a human ship plans to jump there."

Filim stares up at the stars, contemplating.

"Yeah, weird, huh? Makes you think. Like everything is connected or something. Like we all have a specific purpo- OW!"

'Hukumee slaps Filim on the back of the head.

"Quiet down and stay in formation!"

The Major raises his hand to quell the deafening chatter from his ranks. With this, the cohorts of warriors silence themselves.

"Warriors, today is a day that will dwarf the entire history of our Covenant. We have been given the honor of being the first to set foot upon the holy ring. Rejoice brothers, for today is a momentous occasion! However, do not let the majesty of the ring blind you. For the surface of the ring is all but unknown, the parasite could have easily taken over the surface as we saw on one of our lords' shield worlds. Your mission is to recon the ring and assess it's safety for a larger military presence. If you encounter the parasite, report to your Lance leader and evacuate from the surface. Our duty is to recon the ring, not take matters into our own hands. Any questions?"

'Hekumee raises his hand.

"Yes, Commander, What of the human vessel above the ring?"

The Major addresses the question.

"As we speak, other ships from the fleet intend to board the vessel and disable it from within to prevent any damage a plasma barrage may cause to the ring."

'Hekumee nods.

"Our Spirits will be carrying basic defenses and gun emplacements to set up a proper outpost. While the infantry forces settle into their respective outposts, Ghosts and Banshees will be performing reconnaissance on the surrounding area. Good luck brothers! Dismissed!"

The Sangheili all roar in pride, then march to their respective Phantoms.

"Come, Grunts!"

'Hekumee wrangles his Unggoy toward the nearest Phantom as the other Sangheili do the same. Yadam takes one last look at the hangar, watching all species pile onto their respective craft. Before the bay doors close, Major 'Sefumee addresses the troops waiting within the Phantom. Next to him is an identical Sangheili Major.

"Until further notice, This Lance shall be designated The Lance of Revelation, and this will be your lance leader, Major Karumee."

The Major whistles into the air, prompting a large creature with a bulbous body, waving tentacles and a snake-like head, to gently float down from the shafts above the hangar. The creature whistles in a calming and graceful tune, akin to the call of a whale or dolphin.

"...and this is Graciously Glides, otherwise known as Grace. This Huragok will be assigned to your lance."

Major 'Karumee steps into the Phantom with Grace floating behind. The Phantom's bay doors close, bathing the Lance in the fluorescent, purple lights of the Phantom's interior. As the Major inspects his troops, Grace makes himself comfortable among the Unggoy. To inspire his men, the Major begins singing a hymn the Sangheili have memorized to the letter.

 _"So full of hate were our eyes, that none of us could see."_

 _"Our war would yield countless dead, but never victory"_

 _"So let us cast arms aside, and like discard our wrath."_

 _"Thou in faith will keep us safe, whilst we find the path."_

Yadam leans over to Filim.

"Doesn't this hymn seem contradictory to you?"

Filim responds.

"How so?"

Yadam contemplates with a puzzled look on his face.

"It was written after the Sangheili-San'shyuum war, right? Countless losses but never victory? Why must we pursue a war with the humans, rather than casting aside our arms and making peace?"

Filim reacts with a look of anger.

"The humans attacked us first! We tried to make peace with them on one of their worlds but the emissaries were all killed!"

Yadam pauses for a few seconds.

"I'm not so sure. Why can't we just make amends with the humans, we help them and they help us?"

'Hekumee looks down at his Unggoy.

"You will watch that blasphemy if you value your life!"

The two Unggoy snap back to attention.

"They are an affront to our gods! They stand in the way of the journey and must be expunged! Even if we wanted to, the damage has been done."

The Phantom begins to violently shake and rumble, throwing some of the Unggoy off balance. The pilot relays to his passengers.

"We have entered the ring's atmosphere!"

The turbulence sends Grace crashing into the group of Unggoy, reacting with a harsh whistle. Yadam and the Unggoy lift the Huragok back into his position.

"Do we not have straps for him?"

The pilot of the Phantom continues his report.

"Exiting the ring's atmosphere in 4...3...2..."

The shaking of the Phantom suddenly stops, a simple whoosh is heard from the outside.

"Landing Zone; Sighted, setting down."

The Phantom lowers itself to the ground, opening it's bay doors. The purple light diminishes, and the Lance is greeted with the warm rays of sunlight beaming down upon a grassy clearing in the middle of a sparse forest, surrounded by roving, green hills and monumental mountains. In the distance, the broadside of the holy ring ascends into the sky, adorned with unique habitats such as forests, temperate and tropical, wetlands, tundras and deserts. As the Lance stares endlessly upon the beauty of the ring, Spirits and Phantoms rain down from the sky, dropping buildings and defenses such as Halls and Shade guns, as well as infantry of all types. Major Karumee steps out of the Phantom and onto the green grass.

"Men! Dismount!"


	2. Chapter 2 - A Stroll in the Park

_Alpha Halo, 0120 hours, 9/19/2552_

"Yadam!"

The Unggoy jerks himself awake from his curled slumber, greeted once again by his friend, Filim.

"Is this going to be a regular occurrence?"

Filim places his hands on his hips.

"It wouldn't be if you weren't so lazy."

Yadam raises an eyebrow, uncurling himself from his sleep and rising to his feet.

"Whoa, whoa. I'm lazy? I seem to recall you being late for training 5 times."

Filim lowers his brows, crossing his arms at the chest.

"I was sick that week."

Yadam crosses his arms as well.

"Before or after you stole a camouflage module and used it to sleep without being caught? Sometimes I wonder how you got promoted at all. Anyway, why did you wake me?"

Filim turns around to open the sliding doors of the Hall.

"'Hekumee has requested our presence. Best not to keep him waiting."

The Unggoy step out of the hall, greeted by the warm sunlight and ambiance of the camp. Within the camp rests buildings of all kinds; A garage for housing vehicles, a Hall for housing troops, a warehouse for supplies, and a summit for aircraft. All nestled comfortably behind a perimeter defense consisting of Shade guns, lookout towers and barriers. Yadam and Filim stroll across the grassy plains to find their commanding officer, when Yadam's eye catches the open door of a Hall. Inside, Grace was working on a small device, about the size of a mobile phone. The Huragok tinkered away with the device, effortlessly placing each individual piece in it's proper place. Yadam stopped in his tracks, staring as the creature moves it's worm-like tentacles in a slow and careful manner.

"Yadam! Let's go!"

Yadam picks up his pace, catching up to Filim. The Unggoy spot Hekumee resting under a lookout tower.

"You requested us, your excellency?"

Hekumee looks back at his Unggoy.

"The Major has requested all hands to attention. Says he has an update on the space battle going on overhead."

Two more Unggoy sprint towards Hekumee, one wearing the standard Minor armor and the other wearing the Heavy armor set, sporting a cylindrical tank and full face mask. Catching their breath between deep gasps and wheezes, the Unggoy manage to squeal out.

"Reporting for duty, your excellency!"

Yadam and Filim look in confusion.

"Yadam, Filim, this is Lyleh and Dimil, replacements for the last two."

The Unggoy finish their wheezing, standing to attention at their new commander. Speaking for her counterpart, Lyleh salutes her superior.

"We will do our best, sir!"

Hekumee chuckles to his new blood.

"Lyleh is a gifted technician. She spent many years aboard missionary ships with the Huragok, familiarizing herself with our ship's technology. Some would say she is a Huragok in an Unggoy's body. As for Dimil..."

The Unggoy Heavy merely stares blankly, not saying a word or sound, only the his deep breathing beneath his mask fills the air.

"One of the most...enthusiastic...demolitionists among the Unggoy. I would never leave any stray plasma grenades in his care."

The sound of a gravity lift at work catches the lance's attention. Major Karumee descends the lift of the lookout tower, floating downward in a weightless manner. His boots hitting the ground with a resounding thud.

"Warriors! Rank and file!"

Hearing the call of their commander, the infantry forces of the base immediately drop their tasks and sprint towards the Major. The warriors form their ranks, standing to attention in front of the Major. Clearing his throat, the Major speaks.

"Warriors. The human vessel has given us more grief than we anticipated. Already, we have lost four warships and one, the Truth and Reconciliation, was heavily damaged. However, the boarding teams have managed to sabotage one of their heavy guns, rendering them vulnerable to attack."

The eyes of the troops go wide, staring up into space, slowly tracking something behind the Major.

"Any moment now I predict the boarding teams will reach the vessel's power supply and rig it to detonate."

Hekumee stares with a bewildered gaze, managing to speak through dumbstruck stutters.

"M-Major Karumee!"

Karumee gives an authoritative stare to Hekumee, angered at being interrupted.

"What is it Hekumee!"

Hekumee lays a hand on the Major's shoulder, directing his gaze to the sky behind him. The Major jerks his head backwards, staring with mandibles agape. The Human vessel plummets from space, shrouded in fire, while several specs of light begin darting down to the surface of the ring, all hitting the ground in a hail of up-heaved dirt. As the warship disappears beyond the horizon, all that's left is a trembling boom that shakes the ground with a thundering shock wave. Sarumee and Hekumee stand idle, as if contemplating what they have witnessed. Broken from their bewilderment with a sudden jolt, the comm node beside them emits a familiar voice.

"All units be advised! The Human warship has crash landed upon the ring! Escape pods have been confirmed to be jettisoned! All ground forces, locate the pods and eliminate all survivors!"

Major Karumee turns to his men, shaking his head. The warriors stare back at the Major, awaiting a response.

"You heard the Commander! Form your Lances and report to the Phantoms!"

The Sangheili of the group respond in unison with a passionate gruff, wrangling their troops towards the summit. Hekumee rallies his Unggoy, gesturing for them to follow. The Unggoy waddle alongside their superior as fast as their legs could carry them, nearly getting trampled by the storm of troops. In a desperate attempt to gain speed, Filim begins flailing his arms in the air as he runs.

"Wish! My! Legs! Were! Longer!"

Approaching the Summit, the lance ascends the gravity lift, reaching the top to find the troops already boarding the berthed Phantoms. Hekumee's lance piles onto the nearest Phantom, securing their weapons and equipment. Yadam and Filim get comfortable among their kind as the bay doors of the Phantom close, bathing them in the same luminescent purple light. The Phantom ascends from the summit, rocking the inside of the bay. Filim looks around the inside of the Phantom.

"Where's Grace?"

Yadam responds.

"Probably still in the base. Would be a waste of his skills to send him on a combat mission."

Hekumee takes notice of their query.

"Yes, it would be ridiculous to send a defenseless Huragok on a combat mission. It would be a better use of his skills if he stayed behind."

Yadam responds.

"And the Major is staying behind too?"

Hekumee replies.

"It would be best if he coordinates the ground forces from a safe position."

After several minutes of awkward silence, the Phantom's shaking stabilizes. Filim notices the lone Kig-Yar sniper standing in the corner of the bay, armed with a T-50 Beam Rifle. Filim giggles, thinking himself clever.

"Who's the turkey?"

The Kig-Yar croaks and squawks towards the Unggoy. Deciphered by their universal translators.

"My name is Zym, you gas-sucking tadpoles! I am assigned to be your lance's sniper. Good thing too, I can't imagine what havoc would be wrought if I wasn't here."

Yadam and Filim rear back.

"You have that much faith in your skill?"

Zym stares back.

"My entire career is coated with the blood of over two-hundred human soldiers. The last thing they never saw was my beam frying the mass of jiggly flesh they call a brain. It makes a good meal for the Jiralhanae. So, yes, I would call myself a very valuable asset. Just don't ask me to carry the whole team."

A voice comes through the Phantom's loudspeakers.

"Escape pod sighted! Setting down!"

The Phantom descends upon the grassy field, opening its bay doors as the troops pile out. The Unggoy hit the ground with a thud, pulling out their weapons; A plasma pistol for Yadam and Lyleh, and a Needler for Filim and Dimil. The Phantom ascends, leaving the lance to their mission. The lance spots the crashed Bumblebee Lifepod, burnt up from the atmospheric damage, entrapped in it's own rut of dirt and rock. Hekumee gestures his Unggoy to move forward; The Unggoy obey, slowly and carefully approaching the pod. With their weapons at the ready, the Unggoy quickly dart around the corner, pointing their weapons directly into the bay of the pod.

"There's no one here! The pod's empty."

Hekumee curses to himself.

"Damnation! They must have fled!"

Hekumee focuses his gaze on a set of structures approximately one-hundred meters away. A small outpost of forerunner design. His Unggoy form up beside him.

"What do you wager we'll find them in there?"

Hekumee motions his Unggoy to follow.

"Let's move!"

Zym follows his compatriots but is stopped as Hekumee grabs his shoulder.

"No. We may need sniper support."

Zym looks back at Hekumee and nods.

"Just draw them into the open. I'll cover you if things go wrong."

The lance makes for the structures, ducking down behind the roving green hills to avoid detection. Arriving at the structure, the lance carefully check their corners, covering their teammates as they move through the complex. The complex remains silent, flushed with the sound of the alien birds chirping overhead and local wildlife howling and hooting in the distance. Hekumee scans the tops of the structures, suspicious. The lance stands at attention, scanning the environment with all their senses. A sudden double click catches Hekumee's attention, a familiar sound. He has heard this sound many times in his service, never with positive results. His eyes widen, his muscles tense up, his warrior instinct kicks in, he quickly directs his Unggoy into the nearby structure.

"Go! Now!"

As he does, a resounding BOOM pierces the air, followed by a wiz and crack. The dirt beneath Hekumee kicks up into dust, causing him to jump. As soon as the lance reacts, the air around them is peppered with bangs, cracks, and whizzes. The shots narrowly miss the lance as they dive into the structure. Hekumee and his Unggoy all take slow, deep breaths, exhausted and shocked.

"Ambush! I Should have known!"

Filim starts to panic, pacing back and forth, stuttering his words.

"Wha- Wha-What are we gonna do?!"

Hekumee brings his finger up to his helmet.

"Zym! We've encountered the survivors! We were ambushed and have taken shelter in the complex! Can you get a bead on their location?!"

Zym's voice enters his ear.

"Affirmative, commander, I count 5 hostiles. One sniper, two riflemen, and two unarmored hostiles with handguns, likely crewmen or civilians."

Hekumee replies.

"Can you get a shot on that sniper?"

A loud bang pierces the air.

"No, sir, he has his sights on me! I saw the vapor trail from his rifle. I approximate he's camped in the tower. If you can draw his attention, I can lay down suppressive fire while you take out the rest."

Hekumee takes a quick peak around the corner, locating the highest tower in the complex.

"Very well, get ready to fire on my command!"

Hekumee looks behind to find a stairway leading underground.

"Hmm...The gods smile upon us."

He gestures for his Unggoy to follow, leading them into the basement section of the complex. The stairway leads them into an underground chamber of unknown purpose. On the other side of the chamber lies another passage leading upwards to the surface. Hekumee leads his Unggoy up the stairway, exiting to the other side of the building. From Hekumee's position, he spots the tower and with it the sniper in question, still aiming his rifle down the corridor they once were. Hekumee aims his plasma rifle to the sniper, ripping off a number of blasts before the sniper ducks into his nest. The sniper calls for help from his allies; the humans rise from their positions, exposing themselves to Zym's line of fire. Zym takes his first shot, successfully downing one of the crewmen with a shot to the head. The rest take notice, ducking back into their positions. Zym adjusts his line of fire, hitting the second crewman before he could duck back down. Hekumee looks to his Unggoy.

"Only three humans remain! Yadam! Filim! Head back down the tunnels, come out the other side! Dimil, Lyleh and I will flank them from this side!"

Yadam and Filim nod, descending and ascending the stairs, exiting to the other side of the structure. Filim pulls a plasma grenade from his belt.

"One of the perks of being a Major."

Filim tosses the grenade, landing it right on top of the adjacent structure, right next to one of the humans. The soldier yells in surprise and is sent flying in a shower of hot plasma. His body hits the ground, smoldering. The Unggoy whoop with joy.

"Yeah! Us! Us over here! We're the best!"

The sniper takes notice of the explosion and the celebrating Unggoy, directing his rifle to their position. His shot is foiled when Hekumee and the other Unggoy rain hot plasma on his position. Yadam and Filim ascend the stairway of the structure the first rifleman hid in, acquiring a clear shot to the second. Yadam charges his plasma pistol and releases the trigger. The hot ball of plasma hits the rifleman, sending him spiraling backwards and off the ledge of his nest. His body hits the ground with a thud, breaking his spine. With the riflemen dead, Hekumee makes a run for the tower, ascending the gravity lift. There he finds the sniper, curled up to avoid the hail of plasma fire. Hekumee wraps his hand around the sniper's neck. The sniper stares into Hekumee's eyes, pleading for his life to be spared. His plea is ignored as Hekumee launches the sniper's limp body from the tower, hitting the ground, up-heaving dirt and blood. Hekumee wipes his hands and descends the lift. His Unggoy gather around him, still celebrating their victory.

"I never thought I would say this, but well done Unggoy. You fought well and with no casualties. Let's hope this isn't a one-time occurrence."

Zym's voice echoes into Hekumee's ear.

"I saw the whole thing, sir. A good show."

Hekumee puts his finger to his ear.

"This is Hekumee of the Lance of Revelation, our mission is complete, life pod survivors have been neutralized, requesting immediate pick-up."

The Phantom pilot replies.

"Affirmative. Coming in for a landing.

Hekumee sighs.

"Acknowledged, awaiting extraction."

The distant sound of humming anti-grav drives catch the lance's attention. The Phantom descends upon the complex, opening it's bay doors for the lance.

"No time to waste."

The Lance boards the Phantom, settling into their positions. As the Phantom's bay doors close, Hekumee approaches the on-board terminal. The Unggoy take notice and grow curious. Zym notices him sifting through the battle-net.

"What is the report, leader?"

Hekumee notices his Lance's curiosity, reading off the terminal.

"The scattered human forces have managed to regroup and have taken a large forerunner structure our forces had fortified as an FOB. The forces guarding the base were overrun by a contingent of Human Special-Operations, destroying many of the Ghosts guarding the fort, forcing them to retreat. However, a High Value Target, the warship's Captain, has been apprehended and taken to the Truth and Reconciliation for questioning. Orders from the Purity state that all ground forces be redirected to an island suspected to house the Ring's map room."

Hekumee turns from the terminal, back to his lance.

"It would seem that's our next stop."


End file.
